Nigerian State Response to Climate-Related Violence

Abstract

In Nigeria and most parts of Africa, there is a correlation between climate change and conflict. The Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel region are clear examples. However, despite the potency of climate change as a trigger for violence being universally understood, the exact pathway or channel through which climate change results in conflict, violence, forced migration, displacement, competition for scarce resources and other related issues is not fully understood or clearly articulated in the existing policy framework in Nigeria. Although the Nigerian state has adopted measures such as the 2021 Climate Change Act, the National Climate Change Policy and the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, there needs to be more clarity between the legal and institutional frameworks and the actual implementation of climate actions. There is a lack of coordination, monitoring and evaluation systems, inadequate funding, data availability, policy coherence and stakeholders engagement in addressing climate-induced conflicts and violence. As a result, this paper discusses how to effectively operationalise and monitor the Nigerian state's response to climate change and how related climate-induced conflicts can be enshrined in the policy responses and climate actions to ensure that it is inclusive, participatory, and human-rights-based. Nigeria's climate responses and policies are indicative of a positive advancement in the right direction. However, there is a need for more effective implementation, better coordination, and incorporation of climate-related security risk assessment into their climate policy.